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Chapter 5: Rock’n’Roll: The Fifties
Introduction
Rock'n'roll music began
in the 1950s.
It was influenced
by rhythm and blues, gospel and white country music.
By the end of the decade,
the youth of America and many other parts of the world had fallen in love
with both the "black" and "white" forms of rock'n'roll.
Three styles of music shaped
the sound of '50s rock'n'roll.
The most important was black rhythm and blues,
whose rocking rhythms became the beat of rock'n'roll.
Gospel music influenced
the singing styles of early rock'n'roll and soul music,
while white country music influenced
the guitar-based style of rock'n'roll
known as rockabilly.
Rock'n'roll became the voice of the young generation
and has been a major element
in world popular music
for more than 50 years.
Rock and pop music have mostly been associated
with the hopes and concerns of young people.
Rhythm and Blues
From the time of the first recordings in America,
the term "race records" was used
by the music industry
to describe records
made by black artists for black audiences.
By the 1940s, the expression was seen as improper,
and a better term, "rhythm and blues," was created.
Rhythm and blues (R&B) recordings became popular
after World War II.
The influences on R&B include blues, gospel and jazz.
The structure of R&B songs, vocal styles and the use of the amplified guitar, bass and drums were
influenced by city blues.
Gospel, however, gave some forms of R&B their emotional power.
The passion and sophistication of gospel singing eventually became part of the R&B vocal style.
Finally, from jazz came the brass and reed instruments
—especially the saxophone, the main instrument in much R&B.
As jazz was no longer considered dance music,
younger audiences turned to R&B and blues instead.
At first R&B records were ignored
by white radio stations and audiences,
but by the mid-1950s
the enthusiasm for R&B was strong.
The rhythm and excitement of R&B would influence
the sound of early rock'n'roll.
In the early 1950s,
record companies produced white versions of black R&B songs
that became very popular.
A white band called Bill Haley and His Comets was crucial
to introducing rhythm and blues to white America.
Their version of an R&B song called "Shake, Rattle and Roll" was the first white R&B record
to sell more than a million copies.
Then they recorded "Rock Around the Clock,"
which was used in Blackboard Jungle,
a movie about teenage rebellion in high school.
The song became the symbol of the growing power of rock'n'roll
in the lives of youth around the world.
Rock'n'Roll
Rhythm and blues, and then rock'n'roll, were not easily accepted
by white society in America,
because until that time musical tastes and the recording industry had always been divided
according to color.
When rock'n'roll emerged
It was the first time
that white listeners, especially teenagers, followed black artists
with so much attention.
There was great resistance from white parents, schools and religious groups
throughout America.
One state in the South produced a pamphlet
that stated, "Do Not Buy Negro Records."
Also, African-American songs and lyrics had always been considered
by many whites
to be indecent and rough.
The term "rock'n'roll" came from black slang
for "making love" or "having sex."
In 1951, a white disc jockey, Alan Freed, began using
the term "rock'n'roll" to describe rhythm and blues music.
The term R&B was associated
with black music
and Freed, a big supporter of R&B, used a different name
in order to introduce the power of the music to a larger audience.
After Freed named his New York radio program "The Rock'n'Roll Party"
in 1955,
the term "rock'n'roll" became part of the vocabulary of modern pop music.
Young people were attracted to rock'n'roll
because of its danceable rhythms and its feeling of rebelliousness,
but many parents and religious leaders detested
the wild image and sound of rock'n'roll.
The King of Rock'n'Roll: Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley was rock'n'roll's first superstar.
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Discovered in Memphis, Tennessee,
Elvis was influenced
by R&B, gospel and country.
His first recordings with Sun Records in 1955 and 1956 were influential
in the development of the rockabilly sound,
especially in the guitar work of Scotty Moore.
Elvis's first local hit was a cover of a black R&B song, "That's All Right."
He then signed a recording contract
with RCA records,
and from 1956 to 1960
he had 14 number 1 hits in the charts.
Elvis Presley was the favorite of American teenagers
and his powerful vocal style and rebellious look became the image of'50s rock'n'roll.
There was some resistance
at the beginning of his career,
however, from conservatives
who still associated rock'n'roll with black music and culture.
Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Buddy Holly
Three influential songwriters and performers
in the early years of rock'n'roll
were Chuck Berry Little Richard and Buddy Holly.
Black R&B artists Little Richard and Chuck Berry wrote
many of the classic '50s rock'n'roll songs.
Born in the South in Georgia,
Little Richard was a colorful and wild piano player.
His uptempo songs and screaming vocals defined
the excitement and danger of early rock'n'roll,
with hits like "Long Tall Sally" and "Tutti Frutti."
He was one of the first male musicians ever to wear make-up.
Surprisingly, Little Richard left rock'n'roll
at the end of the '50s
to become a church minister.
He returned to the music business later,
but with little success.
Born in Missouri, Chuck Berry began
his musical career
as a blues guitarist.
From 25 1955 to 1960,
Chuck Berry wrote 17 Top songs.
His famous songs from the '50s include
"Roll Over Beethoven" (1956), "Rock and Roll Music" (1957) and the classic "Johnny B. Goode" (1958). Texan
Buddy Holly was one of the first popular white rock'n'roll artists,
and his music was a mix of country, rockabilly and pop.
Unfortunately, he died early
in his career in a plane crash in 1959.
His big hits 35 include
"That'll Be the Day" and "Peggy Sue”
Rockabilly
It is important to note
that the major musical styles in America
—blues, gospel, jazz and country—
all originated in the Southern states.
Rockabilly was another style of music
that had its roots in the South.
Rockabilly was a mix
of white country music with R&B rhythms.
The Sun Records label of Memphis, Tennessee produced
many of the best rockabilly artists.
The ultimate rockabilly guitarist was Carl Perkins.
His most popular song, "Blue Suede Shoes," was recorded in 1955
and is considered the anthem of rockabilly.
Other rockabilly greats include
Roy Orbison, Eddie Cochran, Gene Vincent and the foot-stompin' piano player Jerry Lee Lewis.
Popular rockabilly songs include
"Summertime Blues," "Great Balls of Fire" and "BeBopaLula."
World Phenomenon
When the 1950s ended,
rock'n'roll was about to become a world phenomenon.
Many countries around the world would eventually develop
their own styles of rock'n'roll,
often sung in their own languages.
All English-speaking countries developed
their own home-grown rock'n'roll bands.
As the '60s began,
it was clear
that rock'n'roll had become the voice of young people around the world.
The Music Makers
* Elvis Presley (1935-1977)
Elvis was first discovered
when he went to a studio in Memphis
to make a record for his mother's birthday.
Sun Records owner Sam Phillips found
what he had always been looking for:
a white singer who sounded black.
After recording with Sun Records in 1955,
Elvis signed a major contract
with RCA Records.
From 1956 to 1958,
Elvis recorded a string of hits
that brought rock'n'roll into the hearts of America.
His dance movements were so sexually suggestive
that conservative TV programs in the late 1950s filmed
him only from the waist up.
Elvis entered the army in 1958,
and by the time he returned in 1960,
the golden era of rock'n'roll was over.
He continued
a successful recording, performing and acting career
throughout the '60s and '70s.
He was respected and adored
for his role as the "King of Rock'n'Roll."
At the end of his career,
Elvis's personal life was troubled:
he was divorced, noticeably overweight and had developed a drug habit.
He died on August 16, 1977, in Memphis,
as a result of drug and alcohol abuse.
The U.S. Postal Service released
an Elvis Presley stamp in 1993,
the 58th anniversary of his birth.
The printing of 500 million stamps was the largest
in the postal service's history.
Along with the Beatles,
Elvis Presley is one of the biggest influences
on modern popular culture.
* Chuck Berry (1926- )
Chuck Berry was born
into a middle-class family in St. Louis, Missouri,
and was exposed to music
as a young boy.
His musical influences include
blues, R&B and country music.
Berry recorded his first songs
with Chess Records in Chicago
in the 1950s,
and many of them were in the black R&B charts.
Berry was an enormous influence
on early rock'n'roll and defined its sound:
guitar-based music with unique solos, lyrics with teenage themes,
and vocals that were clear and strong.
He toured
America with other rock'n'roll musicians in 1957,
in one of the first rock'n'roll tours.
Later, in 1959, at the height of the '50s rock'n'roll phenomenon,
Chuck Berry was arrested and charged
with having sexual relations with a 14-year-old girl.
Berry was sentenced to five years in prison.
When he was finally released from prison,
the era of early rock'n'roll was over,
but there was renewed interest in his music
due to his popularity with British musicians.
One of his famous stage mannerisms is the duckwalk
—walking on one foot with one leg outstretched
while playing the guitar.
Cultural Tidbit
Youth and Music
In the 1950s,
America was a rich country
in the middle of a materialistic era.
The flow of products was constant
and many Americans, but certainly not all, had comfortable lifestyles.
This situation affected teenagers,
as they now had more freedom, leisure time and money.
With this lifestyle came the desire
to rebel against the tastes and music of the older generation.
Radio in the 1940s and early '50s was a mix
of country, jazz and Tin Pan Alley songs,
sung by respectable-looking singers and bands.
The acceptance of black R&B and rock'n'roll was seen
as a rebellion against conservative tastes,
and the "dangerous" and negative image of rock'n'roll appealed to many teenagers.
By the mid-'50s,
despite the concerns of the white community,
rock'n'roll became the dance music of young people.
Some critics saw
this as an acceptance of black culture;
however, racial tensions continued.
In any case, the 1950s marked a significant change
in popular music
because young people became a new market
for the music industry.
The message of the decade was clear:
young people had begun to influence
popular music,
and their immense buying power could influence
musical tastes, fashion and societal behavior.
After the 1950s, young people demanded and needed
music that appealed to their tastes and concerns.
This situation continues today,
as much popular music is marketed
specifically for the youth market,
which influences what music is played
on radios, in concerts, and ultimately in film and on TV.
The creation of boy and girl bands is a good example
of how the industry has exploited
youth and its buying power.
While older generations still buy
most of the music in the world today,
the music industry realizes
that youth culture and tastes cannot be ignored.
This trend began in the 1950s
when American teenagers decided
to embrace rock'n'roll music,
despite resistance from a conservative society.